Saturday, April 12, 2008

IV Easter

Let Us Pray For...
Common Cause Observers
Anglican Province of America (APA)
Anglican Essentials Canada (AEC)
Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas (FACA)


Special Prayer Petitions
Please continue to pray for The APA Bishops, who, along with the REC Bishops, will be meeting with the gathering of the Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas. FACA is an attempt to bring together the Continuing Anglican churches. The latter meeting will be concerned primarily with the final vote to join the Common Cause Partners.

Please pray for the Anglican Province in America Provincial Synod at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL, July 23-25. Please also pray for the current members of FACA: The Anglican Church in America, The Anglican Mission in the Americas, The Anglican Province in America, the Diocese of the Holy Cross, Episcopal Missionary Church, and the Reformed Episcopal Church.

Please pray for “Compelled by Christ's Love,” the Anglican Network in Canada national conference, April 25-26. Anglican Essentials Canada and the Network will gather in the Vancouver area, in South Delta Baptist Church - where many of us have gathered for important ACiNW (now ANiC BC) and Essentials events in the past. The conference will be a time to celebrate God’s provision and leading, a time for rich Bible ministry, and a time to refocus on the mission Christ gave His Church. Please plan to join us--and Archbishop Gregory Venables, Primate of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone!


From the Scriptures
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:3-11 (NIV)



A Guiding Prayer

THIS is indeed the first and great command, to love Thee, O God, with all our heart: for on this depends our salvation. But even this must be the gift of Thy grace: for this grace I now apply to Thee, to make my love and fear of Thee the governing principle of my whole life; that I may always do what I believe will please Thee; that I may carefully avoid what I know will offend Thee; and that I may live as having Thee the constant witness of my thoughts, words, and actions.


Give me a steadfast faith in Thy word and promise; a firm trust in Thy power. Let the fear of Thy justice keep me from presumption, and a sense of Thy goodness from despair. Defend me from all those bewitching snares which destroy our love of Thee: from worldly cares; from all sensual and sinful pleasures; from evil company; from foolish diversions; and from every thing that may make me forget, that Thou alone art worthy to be feared and loved. Grant me these mercies for Thy Son Jesus Christ and His sake; whose love and death we are going to commemorate. Amen.

Bishop Thomas Wilson (1698-1755)
"A Further Instruction for Such As Have Learned the Church Catechism," Works (Vol. IV)



A Heritage Reflection
"If you believe Him to be the fountain of all good, you will pray to Him daily. And if you put your whole trust in God, as it is your duty to do, you will endeavour to be pleased with all His dealings with you, you will never murmur at the ways of His providence, not suffer your heart to fret against the Lord. And especially you will never attempt to better or secure your condition by evil ways: believing assuredly, that God can and will make you full amends in the next life, for what you want or suffer in this in submission to His will."

Bishop Thomas Wilson (1698-1755)
"A Further Instruction for Such As Have Learned the Church Catechism," Works (Vol. IV)

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